Chivas Regal Mizunara

N: Mizunara, obviously. Duh. Bought this to get a better sense of what that is, basically. Everyone says sandalwood. Unfortunately, I don't know what that really smells like either. But what stands out here, and reminds of Japanese whisky, to me, is a soft, delicate, woody, sawdust sort of smell layered with marshmallows, vanilla cream, and candle wax. It's something I recognize from Japanese whisky, but had not realized what it was before. Now I know. Mission accomplished. Beyond the Mizunara, there's some traditional scotch fruit - peach and pear - with slightly more than a hint of booze. Digging deeper, surprising citrus with lemon cookies and maybe a dash of baking spice. P: Mizunara on the palate comes across smooth, not very tannic, with a taste that's similar to the nose, but maybe a little more blended - more like a woody marshmallow vanilla cream than the separate parts from the nose. After that, big red fruit flavor with dried cherries making the most obvious noise. Orchard fruit and stone fruit follow, more subtle. Almond slivers follow in abundance. Sweet bread backbone leads to the baking spice finish - mostly cinnamon, not too hot, but it lingers a good while and plays nice with the still present wood and vanilla from the Mizunara. Also hints of cardamom, coriander, and dried ginger. Super interesting experiment whisky. As I said, I bought this to see if I could learn what Mizunara adds to a whisky. I think it worked - there are flavors in this that are very recognizable from, and seemingly unique to, Japanese whisky. I can only assume, until proven otherwise, that they come from the Mizunara. That experience, for a whisky nerd, is worth the price of admission here. And, honestly, this is pretty damn tasty - if the price was right, I'd probably just grab this again occasionally to have a nice weeknight sipper. $50 MSRP is a bit steep, but you might find it closer to $30 - worth it there.

Lacks a bit in punch. Has a really satisfying flavor though. The Japanese oak definitely gives it a different twist.

Mapple syrupy, sweet, silky

Lovely nose of ripe fruit (banana, apple, pear), vanilla, and a bit of spice. On the tongue there is an initial sweetness and the taste of ripe fruit, malt, again the vanilla and oak spice. As you hold and savor the flavors of the dram an astringency develops---not in a bad way---just enough to invite another sip. I prefer this to the standard Chivas 12, but do think it tends to be over priced, at least so in my area.